Product Code Database
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair or simply Persian, is a long-haired traditional breed of cat characterised by a round face and petite, but not flat and not smashed in, muzzle. The short flat nose was created in the US from in-breeding and causes breathing difficulties in the breed, whereas, the traditional Persian breed has a petite nose which enables them to breathe without difficulties.
The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Greater Khorasan as early as around 1620, but this has not been proven. Instead, there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed being exported from Afghanistan and Iran from the 19th century onwards. Persian cats have been widely recognised by the North-West European Cat culture since the 19th century, (2026). 9781465419590, Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9781465419590 and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' subsume the Himalayan cat and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.
The selective breeding carried out by breeders has allowed the development of a wide variety of coat colours, but has also led to the creation of increasingly flat-faced Persian cats. Favoured by fanciers, this head structure can bring with it several health problems. As is the case with the Siamese cat breed, there have been efforts by some breeders to preserve the older type of cat, the Traditional Persian, which has a more pronounced muzzle. Hereditary polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is prevalent in the breed, affecting almost half of the population in some countries.
In 2021, Persian cats were ranked as the fourth-most popular cat breed in the world according to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), an US-based international cat registry.
The first documented ancestors of the Persian cat might have been imported from Greater Khorasan, either Eastern Iran or Western Afghanistan, into the Italian Peninsula in 1620 by Pietro Della Valle; and from Damascus, Syria, into France by Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc at around the same time. While the de Peiresc import from Syria is corroborated by later correspondences, Della Valle is only known to have voiced his intention in a letter from 1620 but returned to Italy much later in 1626 after travelling several other countries with the remains of his wife in tow and no further mention of the cats.
In his letter from 1620, Della Valle distinguishes the Khorasan cat from similar long-haired cats imported to Europe from the Near East by their grey coat:
Albeit of unclear geographic faithfulness, the name Persian cat was eventually given to cats imported from Afghanistan, Iran, and likely some adjacent regions for marketing purposes in Europe. Persian-speakers themselves are not documented to refer to any breed of cat as "Persian cat", or gorba-ye pârsi. Instead, variations of gorbe-ye borāq,Naficy, 1967, p. 68; Haïm, 1969, I, p. 244. gorbe-ye barrāq,Steingass, 1892: 1078. and gorbe-ye barāq appear in Persian dictionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 1815, Lord Elphinstone described the cats in Kabul thus:
In 1839 Lieutenant Irwin notes that "a variety of cat is bred in Cabul, and some parts of Turkestan. By us it is very improperly called "Persian", for very few are found in Persia, and none exported. The Cabulees call this cat bubuk buruk? or boorrak, and they encourage the growth of his long hair by washing it with soap and combing it."
Seeing as the British seemed to assume the majority of Persian cats stemmed from Afghanistan, there is reason to infer that no small portion of the original Persian cat breed stock was, among other places, imported from Afghanistan to Britain and other European countries.
However, the Persian cat was not only exported to Europe by this time but also to India. In 1885 Edward Balfour describes the Afghan trade of long-haired cats to India: "The long silky-furred Angora cats are annually brought to India for sale from Afghanistan, with caravans of camels, even so far as Kolkata."
Similarly in 1882, Jane Dieulafoy, travelling in Iran from Isfahan to Shiraz in a caravan heading for Bushehr, observes "an inhabitant of Yezd in Kerman province, who transported from Tauris
This can be seen in the phylogenetic tree of cat breeds and populations. The Persian cat is depicted in red, which indicates it falls genetically in the European cat population. The modern-day Persian cat breed is genetically closest related to the British Shorthair, Chartreux, and American Shorthair. The Exotic Shorthair is a breed developed in the late 1950s by outcrossing Persian cats with American Shorthairs.
Dorothy Bevill Champion lays out the difference between the two types in the 1909 Everybody's Cat Book:
Bell goes on to detail the differences. Persian coats consist of a woolly undercoat and a long, hairy outer coat. The coat loses all the thick underwool in the summer, and only the long hair remains. Hair on the shoulders and upper part of the hind legs is somewhat shorter. Conversely, the Angora has a very different coat which consists of long, soft hair, hanging in locks, "inclining to a slight curl or wave on the under parts of the body." The Angora's hair is much longer on the shoulders and hind legs than the Persian, which Bell considered a great improvement. However, Bell says the Angora "fails to the Persian in head", Angoras having a more wedge-shaped head and Persians having a rounder head.
Bell notes that Angoras and Persians have been Crossbreed, resulting in a decided improvement to each breed, but claimed the long-haired cat of 1909 had significantly more Persian influence than Angora.
Champion lamented the lack of distinction among various long-haired types by English fanciers, who in 1887, decided to group them under the umbrella term "Long-haired Cats".
As many breeders in the United States, Germany, Italy, and other parts of the world started to interpret the Persian standard differently, they developed the flat-nosed "peke-face" or "ultra-type" over time, as the result of two genetic mutations, without changing the name of the breed from "Persian". Some organisations, including the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), consider the peke-face type as their modern standard for the Persian breed. Thus the retronym Traditional Persian was created to refer to the original type, which is still bred, mirroring the renaming of the original-style Siamese cat as the Traditional Siamese or Thai cat, to distinguish it from the long-faced modern development which has taken over as simply "the Siamese".
Not all cat fancier groups recognise the Traditional Persian (at all, or as distinct), or give it that specific name. TICA has a very general standard that does not specify a flattened face.
In 1958, breeder and author P. M. Soderberg wrote in Pedigree Cats, Their Varieties, breeding and Exhibition:
While the looks of the Persians changed, the Persian Breed Council's standard for the Persians remained the same. The Persian breed standard is, by its nature, somewhat open-ended and focused on a rounded head, large, wide-spaced round eyes with the top of the nose in alignment with the bottom of the eyes. The standard calls for a short, cobby body with short, well-boned legs, a broad chest, and a round appearance, everything about the ideal Persian cat being "round". It was not until the late 1980s that standards were changed to limit the development of the extreme appearance. In 2004, the statement that muzzles should not be overly pronounced was added to the breed standard. The standards were altered yet again in 2007, this time to reflect the flat face, and it now states that the forehead, nose, and chin should be in vertical alignment.
In the UK, the standard was changed by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) in the 1990s to disqualify Persians with the "upper edge of the nose leather above the lower edge of the eye" from Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes. Bi-Color and Calico Persians: Past, Present and Future Cat Fanciers' Almanac. May 1998
While ultra-typed cats do better in the show ring, the public seems to prefer the less extreme, older "doll-face" types.
The CFA set up the registration for Himalayans in a way that breeders would be able to discern a Persian with Himalayan ancestry just by looking at the pedigree registration number. This was to make it easy for breeders who do not want Himalayan blood in their breeding lines to avoid individuals who, while not necessarily exhibiting the colourpoint pattern, may be carrying the point colouration gene recessively. Persians with Himalayan ancestry have registration numbers starting with 3 and are commonly referred to by breeders as Acromelanism (CPC) or 3000-series cats, although not all will carry the recessive gene. The Siamese is also the source of the chocolate and lilac colour in solid Persians. Breed Profile: Persian – Solid Color Division Cat Fanciers' Association
One ASH breeder who saw the potential of the Persian/ASH cross proposed, and eventually managed, to get the CFA to recognise them as a new breed in 1966, under the name Exotic Shorthair. Regular outcrossing to the Persian has made present-day Exotic Shorthair similar to the Persian in every way, including temperament and conformation, except for the short dense coat. It has even inherited much of the Persian's health problems. The easier-to-manage coat has made some label the Exotic Shorthair "the lazy man's Persian".
Because of the allowed use of Persians as outcrosses in most registries, some Exotics may carry a copy of the recessive longhair gene. When two such cats mate, there is a one in four chance of each offspring being longhaired. Longhaired Exotics are not considered Persians by some of the cat registries, although others accepts them as Persians or register them as a separate Exotic Longhair breed.
In the US, there was an attempt to establish the silver Persian as a separate breed called the Sterling, but it was not accepted. Silver and golden Persians are recognised, as such, by CFA. In South Africa, the attempt to separate the breed was more successful; the Southern Africa Cat Council (SACC) registers cats with five generations of purebred Chinchilla as a Chinchilla Longhair. The Chinchilla Longhair has a slightly longer nose than the Persian, resulting in healthy breathing and less eye tearing. Its hair is translucent with only the tips carrying black pigment, a feature that gets lost when out-crossed to other coloured Persians. Out-crossing also may result in losing nose and lip liner, which is a fault in the Chinchilla Longhair breed standard. One of the distinctions of this breed is the blue-green or green eye colour only with kittens having blue or blue-purple eye colour. Difference Between Chinchilla Rodent and Chinchilla Cat Chinchillafactssite.com
Among regional and national organisations, Feline Federation Europe treats all three as separate breeds. Note: Due to poor coding at this site, this link goes directly to the standard's content. The American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) has the three as separate breeds (also with a Non-pointed Himalayan that is similar to the Persian). The Australian Cat Federation (AFC) follows the FIFe practice. The Canadian Cat Association (CCA-AFC) treats the three separately and even has an Exotic Longhair sub-breed of the Exotic and a Non-pointed Himalayan sub-breed of the Himalayan, which differ from the Persian only in having some mixed ancestry. Also referred to corresponding Exotic and Himalayan standards. The GCCF does likewise.
The most colour popular varieties, according to CFA registration data, are black ("seal") point, blue point, red ("flame") point and tortie point Himalayan, followed by black-white, shaded silvers and tri-colour.
The International CFA groups the breed into four coat-pattern divisions, but differently: solid, silver and golden (including chinchilla and shaded variants, and blued subvariants), shaded and smoke (with several variations of each, and a third sub-categorisation called shell), Tabby cat (only classic, mackerel, and spotted, in various colours), parti-colour in three classes; tortoiseshell (in black, blue, chocolate, and lilac), tri-colour (tortoiseshell-and-white or "Calico cat" in North America), and Bicolour cat (in around 40 variations), and Himalayan cat (point colouration).
CFA base colours are white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, and lilac. There are around 140 named CFA coat patterns for which the Himalayan qualifies, and 20 for the Himalayan sub-breed. These coat patterns encompass virtually all of those recognised by CFA for cats generally. Any Persian permissible in TICA's more detailed system would probably be accepted in CFA's, simply with a more general name, though the organisations do not mix breed registries.
TICA groups the breed into three coat-pattern divisions for judging at traditional (with stable, rich colours), sepia ("paler and warmer than the traditional equivalents", and darkening a bit with age), and mink (much lighter than sepia, and developing noticeably with age on the face and extremities). If classified as the Himalayan sub-breed, full point colouration is required, the fourth TICA colour division, with a "pale and creamy coloured" body even lighter than mink, with intense colouration on the face and extremities. The four TICA categories are essentially a graduated scale of colour distribution from evenly coloured to mostly coloured only at the points. Within each, the colouration may be further classified as solid, tortoiseshell (or "tortie"), Tabby cat, silver or smoke, solid-and-white, tortoiseshell-and-white, tabby-and-white, or silver/smoke-and-white, with various specific colours and modifiers (e.g. chocolate tortoiseshell point, or fawn shaded mink marbled tabby-torbie).
TICA-recognised tabby patterns include classic, mackerel, marbled, spotted, and ticked (in two genetic forms), while other patterns include shaded, chinchilla, and two tabby-tortie variations, golden, and grizzled. Basic colours include white, black ("brown", "ruddy", "bronze"), blue ("grey"), chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, fawn, red, and cream, with a silver or shaded variant of most. Not counting bi-colour (piebald) or parti-colour coats, nor genetically impossible combinations, there are nearly 1,000 named coat pattern variations in the TICA system for which the Persian/Himalayan qualifies. The Exotic Shorthair sub-breed qualifies for every cat coat variation that TICA recognises.
Eye colours range widely and may include blue, copper, Odd-eyed cat blue and copper, green, blue-green, and hazel. Various TICA and CFA coat categorisations come with specific eye-colour requirements.
Malformed tear ducts cause epiphora, an overflow of tears onto the face, which is common but primarily cosmetic. Entropion, the inward folding of the eyelids, causes the eyelashes to rub against the cornea and can lead to tearing, pain, infection and cornea damage. This condition is not uncommon in Persians and usually involves the medial aspect of the lower eyelid. (2026). 9781119441816, Wiley. ISBN 9781119441816 Similarly, in upper-eyelid trichiasis or nasal-fold trichiasis, eyelashes/hair from the eyelid and hair from the nose fold near the eye grow in a way that rubs against the cornea. (2026). 9783899930115, Schlütersche. ISBN 9783899930115
The anatomical changes in the upper respiratory track caused by brachycephaly such as stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, and nasopharyngeal turbinates contribute to obstruction of the airways and breathing difficulties. Due to the reduction of the maxillary alveolar space the Persian's teeth are positioned at abnormal angles and overlap, causing dental and gingival problems. Brachycephaly causes the Persian to have shallow orbits and protruding eyes, this can lead to keratitis, sequestrum developments in the cornea, and non-healing corneal ulcers. The reduction of the length of the maxilla can cause excessive skin folds on the face, which may lead to the development of idiopathic facial dermatitis. The brachcephalic skull of the Persian has led to changes in the morphology of the cranial cavity, causing intracranial overcrowding, herniation of the brain, and hydrocephaly.
Dystocia, an abnormal or difficult labour, is relatively common in Persians. Consequently, the stillbirth rate is higher than normal, ranging from 16.1% to 22.1%, and one 1973 study puts the kitten mortality rate (including stillborns) at 29.2%.Prescott, C. (1973). "Reproduction patterns in the domestic cat." Aust Vet J 49: 126-129. A veterinary study in 2010 documented the serious health problems caused by the brachycephalic head.
Cysts develop and grow in the kidney over time, replacing kidney tissues and enlarging the kidney. Kidney failure develops later in life, at an average age of 7 years old (ranging from 3 to 10 years old). Symptoms include excessive drinking and urination, reduced appetite, weight loss, and depression. The disease is autosomal dominant and DNA screening is the preferred method of eliminating the gene in the breed. Because of DNA testing, most responsible Persian breeders now have cats that no longer carry the PKD gene, hence their offspring also do not have the gene. Before DNA screening was available, an ultrasound was done. However, an ultrasound is only as good as the day that it is done, and many cats that were thought to be clear, were in fact, a carrier of the PKD gene. Only DNA screening and breeding cats that are negative for the PKD gene will produce kittens that are also negative for the gene, effectively removing this gene from the breeding pool.Lyons, Leslie. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Feline Genome Project
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heart disease in all cats. It is likely hereditary in the Persians. The disease causes thickening of the Left ventricle, which can, in some instances, lead to sudden death. It tends to affect males and mid- to old-aged individuals. The reported incidence rate in Persians is 6.5%. Unlike PKD, which can be detected even in very young cats, heart tests for HCM have to be done regularly to effectively track and/or remove affected individuals and their offspring from the breeding pool. Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Advice for Breeders The Winn Feline Foundation
Early onset progressive retinal atrophy is a degenerative eye disease, with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in the Persian. Despite a belief among some breeders that the disease is limited to chocolate and Himalayan lines, there is no apparent link between coat colour in Persians and the development of PRA. Basal-cell carcinoma is a skin cancer which shows most commonly as a growth on the head, back or upper chest. While often benign, rare cases of malignancy tend to occur in Persians.Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook Blue smoke Persians are predisposed to Chédiak–Higashi syndrome. White cats, including white Persians, are prone to deafness, especially those with blue eyes.Strain, George M. Cat Breeds With Congenital Deafness
Brachycephaly is a highly sought-after characteristic producing big owl-like eyes and an overall petite-looking face. Though these features may be "cuter", they result in many health issues including ill-functioning nasolacrimal ducts where tears build and flow down the face, a soft and long palate that obstructs the upper airway making breathing more difficult, and dental and jaw defects (brachygnathia) where the teeth grow outwardly in unnatural positions, making it difficult to eat and increasing the chance of plaque formation gingivitis.
Such health issues affect the quality of life of many Persian cats, especially those that fall into the severe category, and raise questions about the ethics and legality of these deformity breeding programmes. As a consequence of the BBC programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed, cat breeders have also come under pressure from veterinary and animal welfare associations, with the Persian singled out as one of the breeds most affected by health problems. Animal welfare proponents have suggested changes to breed standards to prevent diseases caused by over- or ultra-typing, and prohibiting the breeding of animals outside the set limits. Apart from the GCCF standard that limits high noses, TICA, and FIFe standards require nostrils to be open, with FIFe stating that nostrils should allow "free and easy passage of air." Germany's Animal Welfare Act also prohibits the breeding of brachycephalic cats in which the tip of the nose is higher than the lower eyelids.
|
|
